BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 281, 19 April 1913, Page 7

BOXING.

I ' (By ,i \Vallop.")

WHY GUXBOAT SMITH AND 8011BiDUiR WELLS WEKE MATCHED. A cablegram to the "News" recently 'conveyed the information that Bombadier 'Wells, England's heavy-weight-champion. hm] been beaten at New Yoi'k by Gunboat Smith in the second round lof their contest, despite that Wells proved much the better boxer in the opening round. It was the same with Well's previous battle in New York when he met A 1 Plazer. He had Plazer sorely pushed in the opening round, but ! was knocked out in the next. Evidently j Wells has not that riggedness so essenI tial toward success as a heavy-weight. [He is just n boxer, ajid 110 more. The I story of how Gunboat Smith came to be ! matched with Wells when the latter j went to America under the impression 1 t'liat he was to meet Ai'C;irtv, is told in | the following clipping, forwarded to Mr. I Diamond of Sydney, bv Jon rii,> ->. - (winch is interesting in that it shows 1 how the American matchmaker and tlm | boxer's manager parley with . each other when an important contest is being arranged-: Is Luther M'C'arty, who holds the j M'Carty white hope championship belt, | afraid to try conclusions with Bomba- | dier Wells, the British heavy-weight title-hohler? Wells arrived here last Saturday for the purpose of boxing ten rounds with MTarty in the Garden. The Briton accepted the Gavdej} • A.C. terms, and Gibson sent a wire to M'Cart.v's manager. William M'Carnev to t-al'c it- over. M'Carnev conferred with Giliso'i hero nil Saturday and Monday. but. would not agree to several eminently fair proposition. M'Carnev, in the first place, demanded 40 per cent, of the gross receipts. The Garden A.C 1 .. owing to the importance "of tlm maieli. agreed to stretch the usuhl 'gnanijitee to .Vi per, cen ; t. of the gross receipts! Wells accepted an offer j of So. nev cenf.. without protest, but when M'Carney said he wanted 40 per cent.-Gibson turned him down. Gibson stated that M'Carty could have 30 per cent, lifter M'Car.ncy admitted that he b"]ieved the bo;rf would draw more than 40 000 dollars. But 1 M'Carty's manager refused to accept.

■"I'll tell you what I'll do," said Gibson iate' 011 .Monday night, "I'll take vonr -30 per cent, and pay you 10,000 ■dollars in ea-di for it. That will be more monev that any big fellow Iris .ever received for a ten-round bout in this or ■ftnv other country."

"I don't vant it." replied M'Carnev. "Are yo'.i afraid to Imx?" asked- the matchmaker. "If so. say so.> and T'll get somebody else to meet Wells, but at the same time the public will.realise that M'Cartv is not a real champion."

'•M'C'arty isn't afraid, but lie wants all the? ii!o;iov lie can set." responded M'Carjiev. "We are entitled to more •coin than Wells, for we are the card now."

''lf jcv. rjfu,-:c 10,000 dollars, or 30 per c-c-nt. of ?. 40,00iVdollar house. yo;i can't explain yourself." snapped (i'lbson. "Whv, last sumnnr vou vera begging us to nive yon a bout with Willard and Stewart. Wo gave you two bouts and ■"■. in promised to come buck here from California and box Wells this spring. TTo'.v about it!'' ' "We are makinu' 1->M dollars a week on the road." was the heated reulv. '"and we don't need money now. W« don't "are what vou say about -Us in New York, for M'Carty is popular everywhere. else." f'Mieon telegraphed flunboat K'tiith in California la<t' lrglit to ep'me East, at once for a bout -with Wells. ' It is iiossMile 'lull .less Willard's trouble with •a P.nfi'.ilo club, for which lie is under suspension, will be Hatched up so that the "Roxin" Commission will reinstate him. tn that evetit Willard will box (lie bombadier in the spring'. Fireman Flnin is />noth"r prospective opponent for the British champion.

Tt' \vas hinted last niirht Ural, M'Carty' litul made an agreement with Promoter M'('ani«\\ of Vernon. C'al.. not ' to l»o.v before -Tulv 4, and that lie would accent an offer from MTarnev to box Wells tw'iiti- rounds ou tluit date, lint Wells said in it liiyht that lie intended to live up to Ins contract with the Garden A.0.. and under no circumstances would he go to the coast.

PORK AXI) IiKAX FIGHTERS' TKIOX. The following is from a Los Angles exchange:— "Preliminary fighters. 'pork and beanors,' in the vernacular, who whet spectators' appetites by their four-round performances preceding big matches, have organised a union. They demand 3,i dollars each per light, which is at the rate of three dollars per lighting minute. The union has sixty-seven members thus far. Most champions start as pork and beaners. and promoters heretofore have handled their lads on a sort of apprenticeship basis, putting U]) tiny pur-.es and expecting the beginners to be satisfied with the experience they get." A TURKISH BOXER.

The latest boxer curiosity is in London just now—a Turk, Sabri Ma.hir. who has sliallenged all Enslisii middle-weights for a nercentage of the gate and a side bet. We have had boxers in all shapes, and of mostly all nationalities, but never

do I remember seeing or hearing of a, Turk peeling his craftan for a .wrap in tin: good old English way. NOTES. American scribes are referring to II udie Uhloss as being at least as good as ever since lie beat .Joe Phillips all the way in a ten round bout at Windsor (Out.), late in January. "Most lighters, after getting married, sidestep matches by saying their wives won't let them," said Battling Nelson, as lie stepped into the telegraph office at Chicago last month .to fire a, challenge at Champion Ritchie. Wonder if that remark, published at the time by several American papers, was the ennsus belli in connection with Mrs. "Bat's" action for divorce mentioned in a cablegram recently.